The Icecream Board Flips are coming back. Yes, technially they came back last year, but this time we will finally be getting a global release, which as sneakerheads, is definitely worth getting excited for.

Back during the early 2000s when Pharrell and Nigo had set up Billionaires Boys Club, they later decided to set up a sublabel called Icecream, with a focus on skateboarding. In 2005, they along with Reebok, designed the Board Flip, a shoe that would go on to earn a cult status among skaters.

The Board Flip gained credit thanks to Team Ice Cream, consisting of Terry Kennedy, Jacob Wilder, Jimmy Gorecki, Kevin Booker and Cato Williams. The team’s tapes, alongside Pharrell’s “See these Icecreams” moment in the Drop It Like It’s Hot music video were all the attention the Board Flips needed, with skaters eventually warming up to the outsider influence on the culture.

However, come 2009, the team was disbanded and with Reebok shifting priorities into performance and lifestyle, the Board Flip was discontinued.

Fast-forward to 2021, and old photos of Pharrell and Nigo during their early BBC era was flooding Instagram moodboards. Huge gold chains, repeat brand logos and of course, the Board Flips, were making the rounds on people’s feeds. The online buzz, the looming 20th anniversary and a change in Reebok’s retro strategy all lead to the demand for a retro.

So, we got exactly that during Complexcon Las Vegas 2025, with Don Toliver featuring as the face of the campaign. Only 500 pairs of the Board Flip “Watermelon” colourway were available for purchase, driving up the scarcity among the streetwear heads in attendance.  

The “Banana Split” edition was also seeded to a select few during the promotional run up to Complexcon, with only an estimated 40 pairs made. Both colourways caused a serious stir among sneakerheads both OG and new, Reebok’s marketing worked brilliantly at drawing fresh eyes towards the Board Flip retros.

Commenting on the return is James West from Icecream, saying “The Board Flip holds a distinct place in skate shoe history. Sure, in the late 1990s and early 2000s skateboarding always had cool silhouettes - but when the Board Flips came out, they were truly something unique; visually and culturally. Part neck-breaker, part head-scratcher - it's a shoe that even today people stop you on the street to talk about.”

Now a year has passed, and there still seems to be a lingering demand from fans of this cult skateboarding icon. Luckily for us, the release date is only around the corner and will be available at retail for £135 RRP, with a BBC Icecream exclusive release on May 1 available at bbcicecream.com, followed by a global launch on May 6 at 10 AM EST available at reebok.eu.